Bairdi: The Other Snow Crab

Hy-Vee Responsible Choice Alaska Bairdi Snow Crab are considered by fisherman and crab lovers as the best crab on the market. Bairdi’s exceptional sweet flavor and firm texture is easily noticeable over its cousin, the Opilio Snow Crab.

Just how good are the Bairdi? We asked an Alaska Bairdi crab fisherman his opinion.

“I pull out the king crab for guests. I keep the Bairdi for myself!” said Jake Jacobsen, captain of the Polar Sea and Ocean Hunter. Jacobsen has worked for Alaska and West Coast fisheries since 1968 and has operated many vessels. He is currently executive director of Inter-Cooperative Exchange, a crab harvesting cooperative that typically harvests about 70 percent of the Bering Sea crab quota.

Bairdi Snow Crab are found throughout the Bering Sea and typically caught through the use of crab pots, similar to those used to catch the larger King crab. The pots are placed at depths ranging from 114 to 1,100 feet. The season opens in January and typically runs through March or April. The catch is all based on a strict quota basis that is managed by the State of Alaska, the leader in seafood sustainability.

Hy-Vee crab lovers will have the opportunity to try some of this delicious crab throughout the month of June at their local Hy-Vee seafood market.

Author: John Rohrs

I’m John Rohrs, seafood purchasing manager at Perishable Distributors of Iowa, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hy-Vee established in 1982 to provide a central distribution system for perishable products to Iowa stores.
In my job, I work with stores to help create more sales and educate employees on seafood.
Through Hy-Vee’s Responsible Choice initiative I’ve enjoyed meeting and communicating with vendors and creating the friendships that make our partnerships work.
View all posts by John Rohrs

Post navigation

Seafoodies

It is Hy-Vee’s intent to sell high-quality seafood that not only is safe for consumption but also is harvested or raised in a manner that provides for its long-term viability (sustainability) while minimizing damage to the environment and other sea life.